Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau
Encyclopedia
Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (née
Mabel Martine Wisse Smit, born Mabel Martine Los, 11 August 1968, Pijnacker
, Netherlands
) is the wife of Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau (second son of Queen Beatrix and the late Prince Claus of the Netherlands
).
, 27 April 1944 - Loosdrecht
, 18 February 1978) and wife Florence Malde Gijsberdina "Flos" Kooman (b. 1944), in turn daughter of Anthonie Kooman (Maastricht
, 15 June 1915 - 's-Hertogenbosch, 8 November 1979) and wife Antoinette Petronella van Woerkom. Her father died when she was 9-years-old; when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit (15 October 1939 - Hilversum
, 11 November 2000) in 1984, Mabel and her sister took their stepfather's surname. Princess Mabel has two younger sisters, Nicoline Los, then Nicoline Wisse Smit (b. 1970) and Eveline Wisse Smit (b. 1982). She grew up in Het Gooi in Central Netherlands
.
She studied Economics
and Political Science
at the University of Amsterdam, graduating summa cum laude in 1993. During her study she also finished internships at the United Nations
, Shell
, ABN AMRO
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She speaks fluent Dutch
, English
, Spanish
and French
and also learned Slavic languages
during her work in the Balkans
.
During her university years she showed special interest in human rights situations around the world, and later specialised in Balkan diplomacy and international relations. In 1995 she was present at the peace conference in Dayton, Ohio
.
, Simon Wiesenthal
and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
among its members.
In 1995 she was one of the co-founders of War Child
Netherlands, she was on the Trustee Board until 1999. In 1997, she was appointed director of EU affairs of the "Open Society Institute
" in Brussels, one of the foundations of Hungarian-American philanthropist
George Soros
. From 2002 to 2008, Princess Mabel has worked in the London branch of the Open Society Institute where she is the "International Advocacy Director", she "helps to coordinate all international OSI advocacy activities aimed at international policy change."
The World Economic Forum
in Switzerland counted her as one of the hundred "Global Leaders for Tomorrow". She is a member of the worldwide Forum of Young Global Leaders, a thinktank and lobbygroup that aims to tackle global issues.
She is one of the founding members of the European thinktank European Council on Foreign Relations
As of 1 July 2008 she is the first Chief Executive Officer of the Global Elders
, a group of eminent individuals convened by Nelson Mandela to use their wisdom, independent leadership and experience to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. She oversees the day-to-day operations for the Elders.
on 24 April 2004. Because he did not ask the Dutch parliament for permission for the marriage, Prince Friso lost his membership in the Netherlands' Royal House. Therefore, neither Prince Friso, Princess Mabel, nor their children are members of the Royal House or in the Dutch line of succession. Prince Friso and Princess Mabel have been living in London since their marriage.
The couple have two daughters. The elder, Emma Luana Ninette Sophie was born in London
on 26 March 2005. She is called Luana, a Teutonic
name meaning 'graceful warrior' (also 'gracious warrior' or 'female warrior'). The only information the couple released to the press after the birth of their daughter were three official photographs. Luana was christened by Huub Oosterhuis
on 18 December 2005, in The Hague
.
Their second child, a girl named Zaria
(full name Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou), was born in London on 18 June 2006.
Since her marriage, Mabel Wisse Smit may use the courtesy titles of Princess of Orange-Nassau, Countess of Orange-Nassau, Mrs. Van Amsberg. She was not legally created a princess, but received courtesy titles due to her marriage, since it is customary for wives of members of the royal family to take the titles of their husbands. It was decided that their children each would receive the titles of Count
or Countess of Orange-Nassau and Jonkheer
or Jonkvrouw van Amsberg.
Jan Peter Balkenende
wrote in a letter to parliament that Mabel Wisse Smit had given "incomplete and incorrect information" about the duration and extent of her contacts with a known drug trade figure, Klaas Bruinsma
, and that because of this, the government had decided not to seek permission for the marriage from parliament. In a letter to the Prime Minister dated 9 October, Prince Friso stated that the couple had given some incomplete information, but had not given any incorrect information nor did they lie. The couple admitted that the sailing friendship with Bruinsma was indeed closer than mentioned, but denied a love or sexual relationship. This was later repeated by Wisse Smit in a number of interviews.
According to the Dutch law, the cabinet had to submit the couple's marriage to Parliament for its approval, a prerequisite for succession to the throne. Prince Johan Friso said he would marry Smit anyway, and as a result he would lose his right to become king. He had been second in the line of succession
, after his older brother, Crown Prince Willem Alexander
.
In a report later issued by the Dutch News Monitor Foundation, it was alleged that the Dutch media had contributed to blowing things out of proportions after the prime minister made 'unnuanced' comments during two news conferences. In this period Wisse Smit also received some negative publicity by revelations about her affair
, which started circa 1993, with Bosnian
UN Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey
.
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Mabel Martine Wisse Smit, born Mabel Martine Los, 11 August 1968, Pijnacker
Pijnacker
Pijnacker is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 4 km east of the city of Delft, in the municipality of Pijnacker-Nootdorp....
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
) is the wife of Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau (second son of Queen Beatrix and the late Prince Claus of the Netherlands
Claus von Amsberg
Prince Claus of the Netherlands was the prince consort of the current Queen regnant of the Netherlands, Queen Beatrix.-Biography:...
).
Early life
She was born Mabel Martine Los to Hendrik Cornelis "Henk" Los (VoorschotenVoorschoten
Voorschoten is a village and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is a smaller town in the Randstad, enclosed by the cities of Leiden and The Hague. The municipality covers an area of 11.59 km²...
, 27 April 1944 - Loosdrecht
Loosdrecht
Loosdrecht is a village in the municipality of Wijdemeren, North Holland, Netherlands.Loosdrecht consists of two small villages, Nieuw- and Oud- Loosdrecht...
, 18 February 1978) and wife Florence Malde Gijsberdina "Flos" Kooman (b. 1944), in turn daughter of Anthonie Kooman (Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, 15 June 1915 - 's-Hertogenbosch, 8 November 1979) and wife Antoinette Petronella van Woerkom. Her father died when she was 9-years-old; when her mother married Peter Wisse Smit (15 October 1939 - Hilversum
Hilversum
is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Located in the region called "'t Gooi", it is the largest town in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller villages...
, 11 November 2000) in 1984, Mabel and her sister took their stepfather's surname. Princess Mabel has two younger sisters, Nicoline Los, then Nicoline Wisse Smit (b. 1970) and Eveline Wisse Smit (b. 1982). She grew up in Het Gooi in Central Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
She studied Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
and Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the University of Amsterdam, graduating summa cum laude in 1993. During her study she also finished internships at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Shell
Royal Dutch Shell
Royal Dutch Shell plc , commonly known as Shell, is a global oil and gas company headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands and with its registered office in London, United Kingdom. It is the fifth-largest company in the world according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine and one of the six...
, ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO
ABN AMRO Bank N.V. is a Dutch state-owned bank with headquarters in Amsterdam. It was re-established, in its current form, in 2009 following the acquisition and break up of ABN AMRO Group by a banking consortium consisting of Royal Bank of Scotland Group, Santander and Fortis...
and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She speaks fluent Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
and also learned Slavic languages
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
during her work in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
.
During her university years she showed special interest in human rights situations around the world, and later specialised in Balkan diplomacy and international relations. In 1995 she was present at the peace conference in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
.
Work
Wisse Smit was co-founder of the "European Action Council for Peace in the Balkans" in 1994, which was a non-governmental organisation that strived for peace, democracy and stability in the Balkan, and had Margaret ThatcherMargaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
, Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal
Simon Wiesenthal KBE was an Austrian Holocaust survivor who became famous after World War II for his work as a Nazi hunter....
and Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing
Valéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing is a French centre-right politician who was President of the French Republic from 1974 until 1981...
among its members.
In 1995 she was one of the co-founders of War Child
War Child (charity)
War Child is a non-governmental organisation founded in the UK 1993, which focuses on providing assistance to children in areas of conflict and post-conflict. They use their film and entertainment background to raise money for aid agencies operating in former Yugoslavia...
Netherlands, she was on the Trustee Board until 1999. In 1997, she was appointed director of EU affairs of the "Open Society Institute
Open Society Institute
The Open Society Institute , renamed in 2011 to Open Society Foundations, is a private operating and grantmaking foundation started by George Soros, aimed to shape public policy to promote democratic governance, human rights, and economic, legal, and social reform...
" in Brussels, one of the foundations of Hungarian-American philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
George Soros
George Soros
George Soros is a Hungarian-American business magnate, investor, philosopher, and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros supports progressive-liberal causes...
. From 2002 to 2008, Princess Mabel has worked in the London branch of the Open Society Institute where she is the "International Advocacy Director", she "helps to coordinate all international OSI advocacy activities aimed at international policy change."
The World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
in Switzerland counted her as one of the hundred "Global Leaders for Tomorrow". She is a member of the worldwide Forum of Young Global Leaders, a thinktank and lobbygroup that aims to tackle global issues.
She is one of the founding members of the European thinktank European Council on Foreign Relations
European Council on Foreign Relations
The ' is the first pan-European think tank. Launched in October 2007, its objective is to conduct research and promote informed debate across Europe on the development of coherent and effective European values based foreign policy....
As of 1 July 2008 she is the first Chief Executive Officer of the Global Elders
Global Elders
The Elders is an international non-government organisation of public figures noted as elder statesmen, peace activists, and human rights advocates, brought together by Nelson Mandela in 2007...
, a group of eminent individuals convened by Nelson Mandela to use their wisdom, independent leadership and experience to tackle some of the world's toughest problems. She oversees the day-to-day operations for the Elders.
Marriage and children
Mabel Wisse Smit and Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau married in DelftDelft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
on 24 April 2004. Because he did not ask the Dutch parliament for permission for the marriage, Prince Friso lost his membership in the Netherlands' Royal House. Therefore, neither Prince Friso, Princess Mabel, nor their children are members of the Royal House or in the Dutch line of succession. Prince Friso and Princess Mabel have been living in London since their marriage.
Issue
| Name | Birth | Birthplace |
|---|---|---|
| Emma Luana Ninette Sophie | 26 March 2005 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
| Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg Countess Zaria of Oranje-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg is the second and youngest child of TRH Prince Friso and Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau... |
18 June 2006 | London London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
The couple have two daughters. The elder, Emma Luana Ninette Sophie was born in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on 26 March 2005. She is called Luana, a Teutonic
Teutons
The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani...
name meaning 'graceful warrior' (also 'gracious warrior' or 'female warrior'). The only information the couple released to the press after the birth of their daughter were three official photographs. Luana was christened by Huub Oosterhuis
Huub Oosterhuis
Hubertus Gerardus Josephus Henricus Oosterhuis is a controversial Dutch theologian and poet. He is mainly known for his contribution to Christian music and liturgy in the Dutch language, used in both Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, although there is many Catholic opposition to his work,...
on 18 December 2005, in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
.
Their second child, a girl named Zaria
Countess Zaria of Orange-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg
Countess Zaria of Oranje-Nassau, Jonkvrouwe van Amsberg is the second and youngest child of TRH Prince Friso and Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau...
(full name Joanna Zaria Nicoline Milou), was born in London on 18 June 2006.
Style, titles and names
- Miss Mabel Martine Los (1968–1984)
- Miss Mabel Martine Wisse Smit (she took her stepfather's surname, 1984–2004)
- Her Royal Highness Princess Mabel Martine of Orange-Nassau, Countess of Orange-Nassau, Mrs. van Amsberg (since 24 April 2004)
Since her marriage, Mabel Wisse Smit may use the courtesy titles of Princess of Orange-Nassau, Countess of Orange-Nassau, Mrs. Van Amsberg. She was not legally created a princess, but received courtesy titles due to her marriage, since it is customary for wives of members of the royal family to take the titles of their husbands. It was decided that their children each would receive the titles of Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
or Countess of Orange-Nassau and Jonkheer
Jonkheer
Jonkheer is a Dutch honorific of nobility.-Honorific of nobility:"Jonkheer" or "Jonkvrouw" is literally translated as "young lord" or "young lady". In medieval times such a person was a young and unmarried son or daughter of a high ranking knight or nobleman...
or Jonkvrouw van Amsberg.
Controversy
After announcing their marriage Prime-MinisterPrime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Peter Balkenende
Jan Pieter "Jan Peter" Balkenende is a Dutch politician of the party Christian Democratic Appeal .He was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 until 14 October 2010, having led four coalition governments, cabinets Balkenende I, II, III and IV, none of which served a full...
wrote in a letter to parliament that Mabel Wisse Smit had given "incomplete and incorrect information" about the duration and extent of her contacts with a known drug trade figure, Klaas Bruinsma
Klaas Bruinsma (drug lord)
Klaas Bruinsma was a major Dutch drug lord, shot to death by mafia member and former police officer Martin Hoogland...
, and that because of this, the government had decided not to seek permission for the marriage from parliament. In a letter to the Prime Minister dated 9 October, Prince Friso stated that the couple had given some incomplete information, but had not given any incorrect information nor did they lie. The couple admitted that the sailing friendship with Bruinsma was indeed closer than mentioned, but denied a love or sexual relationship. This was later repeated by Wisse Smit in a number of interviews.
According to the Dutch law, the cabinet had to submit the couple's marriage to Parliament for its approval, a prerequisite for succession to the throne. Prince Johan Friso said he would marry Smit anyway, and as a result he would lose his right to become king. He had been second in the line of succession
Order of succession
An order of succession is a formula or algorithm that determines who inherits an office upon the death, resignation, or removal of its current occupant.-Monarchies and nobility:...
, after his older brother, Crown Prince Willem Alexander
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange is the eldest child of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. Since 1980 he is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is also the head of the House of Amsberg since the death of his father in 2002. He was in military service and he studied...
.
In a report later issued by the Dutch News Monitor Foundation, it was alleged that the Dutch media had contributed to blowing things out of proportions after the prime minister made 'unnuanced' comments during two news conferences. In this period Wisse Smit also received some negative publicity by revelations about her affair
Affair
Affair may refer to professional, personal, or public business matters or to a particular business or private activity of a temporary duration, as in family affair, a private affair, or a romantic affair.-Political affair:...
, which started circa 1993, with Bosnian
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
UN Ambassador Muhamed Sacirbey
Muhamed Sacirbey
Muhamed Sacirbey is a Bosnian American lawyer, businessman and diplomat. Sacirbey rose to prominence in the 1990s when Bosnia and Herzegovina appointed him to be its ambassador to the United Nations. Sacirbey also served briefly as the Bosnian foreign minister...
.